1974–1983: The Municipal Borough of Epsom and Ewell, and the Urban District of Leatherhead. 1983–1997: The Borough of Epsom and Ewell, and the Borough of Reigate and Banstead wards of Banstead Village, Nork, Preston, and Tattenhams. 1997–2010: The Borough of Epsom and Ewell, the District of Mole Valley wards of Ashtead Common, Ashtead Park, and Ashtead Village, and the Borough of Reigate and Banstead wards of Nork, Preston, and Tattenhams. 2010–present: The Borough of Epsom and Ewell, the District of Mole Valley wards of Ashtead Common, Ashtead Park, and Ashtead Village, and the Borough of Reigate and Banstead wards of Nork and Tattenhams. ;Historic boundaries Before 1997 it excluded Ashtead but instead included Banstead from Reigate and Banstead. As the borough of Epsom and Ewell is small and includes relatively sparsely populated areas such as Epsom Downs, the constituency has consistently also included areas of neighbouring Surrey districts. ;Latest boundary change After the Boundary Commission's report of 2005, some changes were implemented for the 2010 election. The boundary with Mole Valley moved slightly on the uninhabited portions of land by the M25 motorway adjoining Ashtead and Leatherhead, in line with local government wards. The Preston ward of Reigate & Banstead was transferred to Reigate to bring that constituency's electorate closer to the county average.
History
The constituency was established for the February 1974 general election, forming the centre of the previous Epsom constituency. Epsom had been held by a Conservative since its creation in the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. In Westminster elections, Epsom and Ewell is one of the strongest Conservative areas in the country. Locally, however, the borough council is controlled by the Epsom and Ewell Residents Association, with the Conservatives lacking a firm base here; until recently the party rarely contested local elections. There is even a ward in Epsom itself which regularly returns Labour councillors, and also a number of Residents Association councillors in the Reigate & Banstead wards in the constituency, although Mole Valley lacks Residents Association councillors. In 1987, Barbara Follett, later Member of Parliament for Stevenage, unsuccessfully stood for the Labour Party in the constituency.
